Jar Of Hearts
by SinsRose
Summary: "Who do you think you are?Runnin' 'round leaving scars,Collecting your jar of hearts,and tearing love apart." Sometimes love is the reason we keep living even if it kills us in the end. Murtagh/Tornac, Eragon/Glaedr, Saphira/Thorn,


Jar Of Hearts

_**A/N- This is a AU, by alot. The characters have very different personitities, but they work, and I'm hoping I can finish this fic, the plot is layed out and really complex. It's kinda based off the song, Jar Of Hearts by Christina Perri. This will contain bits of slash in the later chapters, the main paring is well you'll see. Thorn, Glaedr, Shruikin, and Saphira are all human in this fic. Characters are kept cannon to a point, but not relationship wise with some of them. **_

_**Don't read this if you don't like it. Please.**_

Chapter One: Preface

Twilight touched the barren landscapes of the forested area of Spine. The air was cool; the type of air that was around during Autumn, not too cold but you could tell it was heading towards the bitter winter. The area of Spine was more on the isolated side, it wasn't home to as many populated cites. Nestled by the mountains and the rich green forested area were two cities. The first city was Therinsford; it was a decent sized city, a mere population of two thousand people. If you headed further more towards Spine you entered Palancar Valley and nestled in that valley was the small town of Carvahall.

The people living in these areas were used to the lack of people around here. Not many of the buses in Alagaësia traveled up to these parts. The roads were more or less dirt roads; it was less modernized up here. The gravel crunched under your feet when you walked along the barren and deserted paths of road. There were trails leading off into the Spine, branching off the main road, ones used for mostly hunting for the people of Carvahall.

Twigs snapped under the feet of leather boots followed by the crunch of gravel. A shoulder bag hug off a pair of tall shoulders, it was a male, no older than nineteen. His body was thin but muscled from his travels. A maroon tunic rested over his upper torso, and a somewhat heavier maroon cloak over it, his lower torso had darker slacks of the same reddish purple color. His black locks framed his face, and he stopped his hazel eyes staring at the long road ahead of him. It was nearly dark and getting colder in temperature, it was mid-November nearly December.

He thought for a few minutes wondering if he could reach Carvahall by sundown. He had been walking for the majority of the day only stopping once to eat. He pressed on his feet thumping against the ground, the crunching of gravel loud under his feet. The dirt road went on for miles, but after hours of walking he saw a billow of thin grey smoke in the distance. He had reached the town.

Carvahall was a town consisting of more traditional people. They practiced the other traditions such as farming, trading, and herbal work. There were a few blacksmiths that lingered around here as well, not many people traveled to this city very often however, and even if you did, you hardly ever stayed longer than a few nights. The male headed up towards the smoke, his feet moving off the gravel road and took a turn onto a dirt path. He rounded the corner heading towards the home that sat outside the small town.

He was here because his collage was on break until January and the New Year came around, however that didn't stop his professors from giving him heavy amounts of homework for those two months. He hadn't been up here for a least four years, he had been fifteen when he had last been up here. He opened the door to the home, and felt the heat escape from the main room. The woodstove was lit bringing in warm delightful heat. He closed the door quickly and quietly behind him, not letting the precious heat escape outside the home. He could hear talking and laughing from the dining room, and a small grin fell onto his lips, at the warm laughter.

The male walked up the stairs in the small home careful not to make a sound, and walked to the end of the hall, and he took a key from the pocket of his jeans. It was a small black key and it slide into the lock of the door effortlessly, and the door swung inward, and he entered the room shutting the door behind him. His room had crimson walls and a push off faded white carpet; it hadn't changed much since he last was here. A bed was pushed against one wall, and he had a small black dresser, and his closet door was closed just like he left it. On the other side of the room was a black desk, a few of his books that he left here were sitting on the desk. On the desk was a copy the history of Alagaësia, it was a very old book and written entirely in the Ancient Language. There were other useful books on the selves above the desk.

He set his black shoulder bag on the floor, and began unpacking what he had brought in the bag. Mind you the bag was bigger than it looked. He removed a smaller bag from it, which contained the majority of his clothing, and then began removing his collage books followed by a small laptop, and notes from various subjects he had been taking. He set the notes on his desk staring at the dwarfish and cringed at it. He wasn't a fan of writing in it at all. He pulled off his cloak next and hung in up, before turning away from his now empty bag, and headed out of the room.

Before he made it out of his room however, his cell rang from his desk, and he made a mad dash for the device. "You better have a good excuse for calling me in this city?..." The male spoke into the phone, and sat on his bed.

"I take it Saphira never told you…" It was his friend Thorn speaking on the phone; he was a twenty-one year old male that had red hair and crimson colored eyes. "We became engaged yesterday and she's expecting.." Thorn told him, excitement was in his voice.

"Expecting?..." The male had no words, he was shocked, and Saphira being his fiancée was no surprise but a baby as well. There was a beeping noise than nothing.

"Shit." The male muttered looking at his dead phone battery. Oh well. He turned heading down towards the stairs like he had planned.

Walking into the dining room like that he should have planned better, that was his afterthought. Someone stopped in mind conversation, and stared at him as if they had seen a ghost. His smile vanished from his lips, he didn't speak. The air in the room felt strained and dry. The women with dark locks and blue eyes approached him; she looked him right in the eyes. "Get out." She said to the male.

"Excuse me?" His voice was low and unemotional.

"Get out. Go back to your bastard of your father." The women spoke again raising her voice.

"I wasn't planning on staying long. _Mother._" His voice was bitter.

"Murtagh get out of this house. I don't want you here. You're a corrupted child. You changed Era"-

"I'm a corrupted child mother? I'm corrupted because I'm bisexual? I'm not staying mother trust me. I'm heading back to Uru'baen." His tone was void of any emotion. "You blame me for my dear little half-brother's gay? How sad. It seems it does run in the family." Murtagh said bitterly.

"Murtagh get out of this house before I have someone get you out. You"-

"Mother stop it." It was the voice of his half-younger brother Eragon. He had short brunette locks and a skinny build much like Murtagh did; his eyes were a chocolate brown color. Murtagh didn't question it at the given moment but Eragon had a promise ring on his skinny tanned fingers. Eragon had gotten a plate for him, and Murtagh took one look at him, took it and headed back towards the stairwell clearly unwanted and a subject of fights, and Eragon followed him up to his room shutting the door behind him.

"Selena hasn't changed at all." Murtagh said rather dryly.

"She's alright. Besides how's Uru'baen?" Eragon asked him quietly.

"Nothing, but a few things happening. Saphira and Thorn are engaged and excepting." Murtagh said softly.

"I just saw Saphira yesterday, she never mentioned it. She's in Therinsford with Thorn for the holidays, they wanted to visits me. Where are you actually headed after this?"

"I'm headed back home, to Uru'baen, Morzan expects a visit from me before I head back to my studies in Gil'ead." Murtagh said rather quietly.

"Has he gotten better or worse?" Eragon asked his elder-half-brother.

"Morzan? More or less worse, the last time I saw him, was two years ago when I was seventeen. I rather not tell you the story here. Selena would have my head on a platter." Murtagh said not saying more on the delicate matter.

The way their family worked was a matter Murtagh rather not remember. It used to be Eragon and Murtagh used to switch homes together every year, until Selena had seen Eragon got hit by Morzan, and Eragon stopped seeing him. Murtagh's visits however didn't cease, they didn't stop at all. Morzan took a liking to Murtagh and loved him, eventually Selena rejected him and kicked him out onto the streets at age fourteen, and Murtagh came out that year as well as bisexual.

Murtagh had gone straight to his father after that. He had then proceeded to grow up in Uru'baen as a pampered and rich child. However he still did his fair share of work for things, he never objected helping his father. His sexuality remained a secret until he was seventeen to his father, and his father had caught him fucking a younger male by a few years. Morzan after he had found out had grabbed Murtagh by his shaggy raven locks and dunked his head under water and held it there until his lungs choked for air.

Morzan told him after that if he ever caught him fucking the same sex, he would beat the shit out of him. Murtagh ended up getting beat up four or more times in the course of that same month for mouthing off and swearing at him, in one instance calling his father, a good for nothing son-of a bitch. Murtagh had nearly died from drowning that night, and told his father he would never call him that again. His sexual encounters also decreased, out of fear he might not survive if his father found him screwing a male again.

Selena was another matter altogether. She hated Murtagh because of his bisexuality, and blamed him for the changing of Eragon's given he had come out gay after Murtagh had left, but Selena knew of Murtagh's bisexuality long before the raven haired male did. Selena didn't even put up with Eragon's at all and Eragon often lied to her saying he and Arya (one of his closest friend were dating.) when he was really with a male and screwing him. The only reason Murtagh knew about this is because Eragon had somehow gotten ahold of his cell number and started texting him, daily.

"Selena's alright." Eragon said referring to their mother. "I rather deal with Brom."

Brom was Murtagh's stepfather that had liked him since he laid eyes on him, as well as Eragon. He loved the boys for who they were, and no one could tell him otherwise. Brom knew about Eragon's sexuality and he said nothing about what Eragon was really doing behind his mother's back, he pitied the boy at times. "Brom I rather deal with as well. Morzan is expecting me to be around a few days before Christmas. I had other plans on those days." Murtagh said to his younger brother.

"What where you planning?" Eragon asked him.

Murtagh fought the blush that threated to stain his cheeks. "I-… I have someone to visit in Teirm." His voice was rather low and soft.

His brother's eyes widened in surprise at the vivid emotion on his brother's cheeks, it was very rare. Seconds later footsteps were heard coming up the stairs and Selena came into view as she pushed open the door; Murtagh took that moment to pick at the food Eragon had brought up hence avoiding the blush that had been brought up on his features and not meet his mother's gaze.

"Eragon your brother needs to leave. I already told him to get out." Selena said to her younger son.

Eragon met her gaze. "I was planning to head to Ceunon, this year to see some friends…"

"Ceunon Eragon? You never mentioned that to me. Who are you visiting?" Selena pried.

"Nasuada, Shruikan, and Glaedr. I told you weeks ago." Eragon was frowning at his mother.

Murtagh had a feeling it was more than just visiting friends but he didn't comment on that. Selena turned to Murtagh. "I take it you'll be here for a few days than leave for Teirm?" Selena asked her elder son.

"Not Teirm, but I will be heading there. I have to head to Uru'baen and Gil'ead. "Murtagh said to his mother and she looked so appeased.

"Eragon come downstairs, I need to talk to you." Selena said, and Murtagh shot his brother a concerned look before he headed downstairs with her.

Murtagh had stayed less time than he expected by the next morning his things had been placed into his bag. He had grabbed a few containers of food thanks to his brother, and headed out to leave Carvahall. Eragon however was leaving the town as well so they both headed off together, they reached Therinsford by twilight. This city town had buses here, and Murtagh was going to catch one to Daret than Gil'ead.

Upon arriving at Therinsford, Murtagh's phone rang; he picked it up staring out the hotel window that they were at. "When are you going to be a Gil'ead this year? I'm here for two weeks." Murtagh's breath caught in his throat. He was home early. He was home.

"You're home. You're back." He whispered into the phone feeling breathless.

"I'm home and staying, my service is done." The male said into the phone.

Murtagh felt his heartbeat in his ears. He was home. He was alive, and living. It had been three years since he last saw him. Three years since he had been with him. "I'll see you in two days." Murtagh told him on the phone, he was trembling, he felt like he was going to cry from how he was feeling.

"I'll see you later baby then."

Murtagh couldn't help when a laugh escaped his lips when they hung up the phone with him.

He was _alive._


End file.
